widget

It's not just called the crawl because it's low on the screen; if ESPN's news ticker isn't fast enough for you, then both Yahoo and USA Today have the solution. Both have sports widgets for Yahoo TV Widgets. While each has its own unique features, the Yahoo one is just flat-out better and great on its own as well.

Both widgets open up to a window with a number of quick links, including headlines. Selecting one of these on both widgets brings up the first paragraph of the article. The Yahoo widget draws its content from … Read more

As Internet-connected TVs become more popular, set makers are looking for ways to stand out from each other. Vizio, which made its name by undercutting much larger names in electronics on LCD sets, is no longer just looking to attract buyers at Costco. It's now trying to compete directly on the number of bells and whistles with the likes of Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony.

Announced in late June, Vizio's Via HDTV has some things going for it that its competitors' sets do not: integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi--which means no separate dongle for connecting to the Web--2GB of flash memory, and a well thought-out remote control.

The remote design is almost a no-brainer in retrospect, and makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before. It looks like a standard model, but with this one, Vizio took into account what the user would be doing with it: interacting with Web applications like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Sports, and Flickr. The TV maker put a slideout QWERTY keyboard on the back of the Bluetooth remote, so users can type as they would on some smartphones, instead of keying in letters one at a time. And, it doesn't seem to add much to the price of the Via HDTV: the 42-inch version will begin at $999 when it starts selling in stores in November.

Vizio is also looking to differentiate itself with developers who will create more applications for the TV. Yahoo developed its TV widget engine last year, which brings a range of preselected applications like Twitter, eBay, Flickr, Yahoo Sports, Showtime, and many others right onto the TV screen. Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, and Vizio each offer it. But Vizio says it wants to appeal to application developers, so it integrated Adobe Flash directly into its Via HDTV.… Read more

Verizon Communications is about to open up its new Widget Bazaar to third-party developers to create an "app store" for its Fios TV service in a move that could forever change how people watch TV.

Verizon first announced the Widget Bazaar just a couple of weeks ago. Initially, the company described it as a storefront for new widgets or applications developed by Verizon partners for its Fios TV customers. At the time, Verizon executives downplayed the possibility of a sprawling Widget Bazaar teeming with thousands of applications developed by third parties.

But now Verizon is making it clear … Read more

Adobe AIR apps are some of the best designed, most useful applications you can have on your desktop. Last month, I highlighted 10 applications to try out, if you're thinking about using AIR apps. This time around, I want to take a look at 10 apps that will make you more productive. Trust me, they will help you save some time.

Agile Agenda Agile Agenda is a project management tool that helps project managers keep their team on track.

Agile Agenda is quite impressive. You can add your team and input information about the tasks you need to perform. You can set priority, dependencies, when a task should be completed, and more. You can also edit milestones so you can track how the project is coming along. Most importantly, the app's fantastic design makes it easy to use.

Agile Agenda gives you the option of trying it for 3 days or 30 days, or buying a license. If you're buying one license, the software will set you back $70. More licenses reduce the price.

Doomi Doomi is an extremely simple to-do-list app that lets you quickly add items you need to complete. That list is displayed under the input box. You can set how long it should take to complete the task and mark the box next to it when it's complete. It's a simple app, but it's far more effective than writing your to-do list down.

File Furnace File Furnace is a unique app. Instead of impressing you with a nice design and several menus, the app displays a simple image of a fire. Over that, the app displays a message that reads, "Drop unwanted files here." It also features the sound of a crackling fire. As long as you follow the directions of File Furnace, and drag and drop unwanted files or directories into the fire, it permanently removes them from your computer. It's a slightly unusual app, but it's much easier to delete files with File Furnace than waste time with the Recycle Bin.… Read more

Yahoo may not have the same stranglehold on online video as YouTube does, but it sure has tried. Yahoo does, however, boast a simple channel system and a large library of content from outlets like the Associated Press and cable news stations. In its video widget for Yahoo TV Widgets, Yahoo tried to focus on easy access to these channels instead of competing with a YouTube-type of service. Unfortunately, the result of this is an application that's often light on featured content and devoid of a search function.

When launched, the Video widget displays a thumbnail of a featured … Read more

If the Internet is the future of television, then LG's LH50 series hails from the day after tomorrow. This flat-panel LCD is the first to offer Netflix streaming, which allows instant, free-to-subscribers access to an all-you-can watch menu of thousands of movies and TV shows without having to connect another box. Sure, Sony has already announced the service for its own compatible TVs later this fall, and we expect Netflix to make its way to Yahoo widget-equipped TVs from Samsung (and perhaps others) sometime later this year, but for now the LH50 holds exclusive claim to Netflix. Speaking of … Read more

Before Hulu and the online copyright crackdown, YouTube was the place to go for finding TV content on the Internet. Now, it's trying to be the place for Internet video content on your TV. YouTube has made the jump to living room screens through different methods, including as a widget for Samsung TVs running Yahoo's TV widgets. The YouTube widget is an easy solution to getting YouTube on your TV without the need for additional wires or devices, but it finds itself somewhere between a compact widget and a full-screen program, unable to compete with a number of other TV-based YouTube platforms.

We spent some time with the YouTube widget as part of our updated look at the Yahoo TV Widgets platform. The "snippet," or collapsed form of the widget as it appears on the dock at the bottom of the screen, only serves to launch the program--unlike the Yahoo Video widget, for example, which allows users to scroll through the snippet for favorite video categories. When expanded, the main window provides quick access to a number of familiar features, including links to all sorts of top video categories, channels and the search feature. Selecting any of these options (except Channels, which opens an additional but currently nonfunctional submenu) wipes the screen of whatever you were watching and loads a full-screen YouTube client that bears a resemblance to the Web site, only cast in black.

Call it semantics, but there's something about completely taking over the screen that isn't very widgety. Having a full-screen YouTube program is by no means a bad thing, but it does mean that the Yahoo widget has to hold its own against some strong competition.

… Read more

Aston2 Menu allows users to replace the standard Windows Start menu with a variety of fun and useful alternatives. The program maintains the integrity of the original menu's layout while adding interesting graphics and utilities.

Once installed, the program transforms users' Start menus automatically, but it's easy to access Aston2's settings in order to make changes. Users can choose from seven different skins that are included, or visit Aston2's Web site to download additional skins for free. The skins come in a variety of themes--natures, holidays, and specific time periods, for example--some of which contain sounds … Read more

Though the open nature of Android has always allowed you to alter the G1's software, options for personalizing the exterior of the phone have been few. Fortunately, however, the upcoming T-Mobile MyTouch 3G offers customization choices both inside and out.

We can get a preview of what's in store for new MyTouch 3G users by looking at current Android modifications. By far, the most popular options are home-screen replacements. For a couple of bucks, users can purchase apps in the Android Market that completely replace the default home screen. Once installed, there are hundreds of free themes for … Read more